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not sure if we're going to be ready to start solids.

My LO will be 6 months old in just over a week. At her last well baby check (at 4 mos) her doctor told us the signs to watch for that baby is developmentally ready for solids and said we could start when we think she's ready.

However, I have almost ZERO interest in starting solids now or in the near future. Is this OK? Almost everyone I know started solids sometime between 4 and 6 months (for some reason I can't imagine doing this) and even my friends who really stuck to the recommendation to wait until 6 months started right at 6 months. I don't see us doing that and I'm not sure if it's that she isn't ready or if it's MY problem. I can't put my finger on why I'm reluctant about it.

My baby can sit up on her own and has shown some interest in what is on our plates, but not in such a hungry way, just in a grabby way--she's at the stage where she's starting to want to grab at everything, food or not (and then put it in her mouth).

I want to follow her lead but how do I know she's ready? Is it the kind of thing where we won't know until we try?

The other day I was eating a banana and I put it near her mouth and she kind of starting sucking on it like a nipple (the same way she will try to nurse my finger or my nose or whatever). She didn't seem like she wanted to eat it.

Maybe things will change over the next few weeks, but for now, is there an age when we need to get serious about solids if we haven't? I know there is no rush, but I also feel like introducing solids is going to be a gradual process that will take several months, so I don't want to wait too long. I admit I'm slightly shy about going to her 6 month check-up and telling her doctor that we haven't attempted solids yet. He is pretty progressive and easy-going and actually encouraged us to wait until 6 months, but I think he might be surprised that we're not chomping at the bit, so to speak.

Re: not sure if we're going to be ready to start solids.

I think it's perfectly fine to wait until 8 months or so. I wouldn't delay it much beyond that. Many babies are not that interested in solids at 6 months. My son mostly played with his food and really hardly ate ANYTHING until he was 8-9 months. From 6-9 months, we offered solids once a day, and some days if we were busy we skipped it altogether. Around 9 months I started offering twice a day, and around 10.5 months he kind of 'took off' with eating solids and started eating a lot more, although most of his nutrition was still from nursing and he still took 2-3 bottles while I was at work. Now he's a year and we offer solids three times a day. Just in the past several weeks he's started eating more solids than before, and taking fewer bottles while I'm gone, though he still nurses like crazy any time I'm home. It's a slow transition to solid foods and slower for some kids than others. But nutritionally, they don't even start to NEED solids until 8-9 months, and then it's mostly for iron (so iron-rich solids, like red meat or fortified cereal, are important). By around a year, breastmilk alone is no longer enough and they really do need solid food, but until then, they don't really need it. If you don't want to start solids at six months, you don't have to yet, but by 8 months or so you should start offering.

First-time mama to Joshua, 10/29/11. 38 months ; now trying to wean. for 14 months; now finished with pump weaning!

Re: not sure if we're going to be ready to start solids.

According to my kids' pediatrician, until the first birthday solids are for experimenting with new tastes, textures, and motor skills only. They're not nutritionally necessary, because breastmilk or formula alone meet all a baby's nutritional needs until the first birthday (or thereabouts- later for some kids, earlier for others). So what does that mean for the introduction of solid foods? It means you don't have to worry about feeding baby entire meals or entire jars of solids. If your child prefers to eat some solids, fine. If she tastes them and then spits them out, still fine. And if she won't put them near her mouth and prefers to explore them with her hands, still fine!

At 6 months, I would give baby some healthy solids to explore with her mouth or hands. Small quantities, to start. A fingertip of mashed banana. A piece of smashed steamed carrot on her high chair tray. A few cheerios. That's all she needs to allow her to explore solids, without there being any expectation that she actually eats them. And then follow her lead! If she's really interested in solids, give her a little more the next time. Just remember to always nurse first, to maximize baby's breastmilk intake.